well... I got to work on it this weekend and my issue is at the bottom (at the blend door itself). The cable has come off at the door gear and the cable retainer at that point is now missing so it lets the cable move freely instead of holding it so the blend door is what has to move. I set it manually to blow out the dash vents for now and it is working fine... will look for the clips needed to make the repair. I tried using 2 1/2 inch wire ties but they did not hold. I may try to find a bicycle gear shift cable holder if I can't find the actual retainer. thanks again for all the advice!